Interpretation of fingerprints obtained by gas chromatography (GC) of crude oils for allocating commingled production from multiple zones in a single well, or for allocating contributions from different wells, may result in cost savings relative to production logging. Also, it may be used to monitor production. However, the accuracy of the results may depend on the underlying method and the mathematics.
The use of GC fingerprints dates has been described in [1] Kaufman R. L., Ahmed A. S. and Elsinger R. J., Gas Chromatography as a development and production tool for fingerprinting oils from individual reservoirs: applications in the Gulf of Mexico: In: Proceedings of the 9th Annual Research Conference of the Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists. (D. Schumaker and B. F. Perkins, Ed.), New Orleans, 1990, pp. 263-282; and [2] Kaufman R. L., Ahmed A. S., Hempkins W. B., A new technique for the analysis of commingled oils and its application to production allocation calculations. Proceedings of the Sixteenth Annual Convention of the Indonesia Petroleum Association, 1987, pp. 247-268.